raven
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raven,
common name for the largest members of the family Corvidae (crowcrow,partially migratory black bird, genus Corvus, of the same family as the raven, the magpie, the jay, and the rook and the jackdaw of Europe. The American, or common, crow, C. brachyrhynchos, about 19 in. (49 cm) long, has a wingspread of over 3 ft (92 cm).
..... Click the link for more information. family), ranging throughout the arctic and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The common raven, Corvus corax, is a glossy black scavenging bird about 26 in. (66 cm) long, with a call resembling a guttural croak. Long the subject of superstition and legend, the raven can be tamed and taught to mimic human speech. Ravens are classified in the phylum ChordataChordata
, phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate animals.
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Corvidae.
Bibliography
See studies by B. Heinrich (repr. 1991; 1999).
Raven
(Corvus corax), a bird of the crow family, in the Passeriformes order. Body length, 60-65 cm. Black in color with blue or green metallic tint; young ravens are mat black. The distribution of ravens is very broad: they are found in Europe, Asia (excluding the southeast), North and Central America, and North Africa; in the USSR they are every-where except in densely populated areas. Ravens are not numerous. They lead a settled or a migratory life. During the winter they flock to the dumps near cities. They build their nests in trees and on rocks, coastal precipices, and tall structures. A single nesting place serves for generation after generation. From five to six eggs are laid once a year. The raven is an omniverous bird, but most of its food consists of animal food and carrion. A closely related species is the desert raven (C. ruficollis), brownish in color, which inhabits North Africa and southwest Asia; in the USSR it is found in the deserts of Middle Asia.
What does it mean when you dream about a raven?
Ravens are symbols of diabolical evil in traditional Christianity. This bird also symbolizes uncleanliness and death because it feeds upon dead and decaying animals. Because it is a sign of transformation, the raven is also associated with magicians and sorcerers.